ISLANDERS HEAD TO TEXAS STATE TO FACE BOBCATS

Mar 05, 2010

ISLANDERS HEAD TO TEXAS STATE TO FACE BOBCATS

The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team begins its quest
to return to the Southland Conference Tournament as the Islanders
head to San Marcos to take on defending regular-season champion
Texas State in a three-game series at Bobcat Baseball Stadium. The
series begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. with games at 4 p.m. and Sunday
at 1 p.m.

The Islanders enter the series with a 5-2 record after an 11-6
win on Tuesday over Texas A&M-Kingsville. Texas State has lost
four straight after beginning the season 3-0. The Bobcats lost to
No. 9 Rice in their home opener earlier this week. The Islanders
trail in the all-time series 18-5.

"I think it'd be easy to say that our staff and players have a
lot of respect for Texas State and what they have accomplished,"
said Islander head coach Scott Malone. "Every year they are in the
hunt for the Southland Conference Championship and that is where we
are trying to get as a program.

"We are going into the series with the most talented team we've
had since I have been here to face Texas State. We have to play
really well."

The meeting will be a battle of the Islanders, who are one of
the top two offenses in the conference early on versus the Bobcats,
who have one of the top staffs. The Islanders enter conference
action hitting .322 as a team with four players hitting
.400-or-better. Chris Vergne and Omar Garcia lead the way with .474
averages. Marc Damon is at .462 on the year.

Trey Hernandez is hitting .400 and leads the way with four home
runs, 16 runs batted in and an .800 slugging percentage. He was
named the Louisville Slugger National Hitter of the Week, the
CollegeBaseballInsider.com Player of the Week and Southland
Conference Hitter of the Week. The junior was also named to the
College Baseball Foundations National All-Star Lineup.

"We have really been an offensive team early on," said Malone.
"We have six or seven guys who have been swinging the bats awfully
well. If we our able to sustain our offensive momentum we will have
a chance everyday."

On the mound, the Islanders will send lefty Roy Ferdin on
Friday with right-handed pitchers Brandon Orr and Marc Damon
slated to start the final two gamesof the series. Led by Phillip
Garcia, Chris Pena and Ian Campbell, the bullpen is developing
quality depth.

"Our pitching has been more stable early on because we have more
depth," said Malone. "We have done a good job of avoiding the big
inning and a lot of that is the depth we have with 10-11 arms that
have given us quality innings."

The Islanders will have some difficulty with a Bobcat staff that
has compiled a 3.69 ERA early on. Seven pitchers have a 3.97 ERA or
better. Michael Russo (1-0, 1.50) will start the series opener
along with fellow righty Brian Borski (1-1, 4.50). Lefty Lee Colon
(1-1, 2.45) will start the finale.

The pitching has carried the Bobcats early. They are hitting
just .221 as a team with Andrew Stumph hitting a team-best .385.
Shaun Garcia is batting .333 and Tyler Sibley .321.

Islander fans can track the series via live stats at
txstatebobcats.com. Audio will be available on the Texas State site
on Friday and Sunday.